Make your first sale on Amazon, eBay EASILY—8 winning ways only pro-seller knows

They say the first sale is always the hardest. And it’s true to its every word. While setting up stores on eBay, Amazon and other marketplaces has become relatively easier today, new vendors still struggle to crack their first sale the way they had initially dreamed of. Some, literally, take months to land their first customer. And it finally dawns on them, things aren’t as picturesque as those success stories have had them believed.

Are you an Amazon seller? Have you just started your online store? Or are you planning to venture this path soon?

Here are 8 winning ways to help you make your first online sales easily—ways that only the top vendors know of-

Have more than 2 sales channels

The calculation is simple—the more number of sales channels you have, better will be the chances of higher sales. So, instead of being just on Amazon and eBay, be also on other marketplaces and storefronts; of course, this must suit your overall business model and product type. To that, besides offering you higher sales, being on various platforms also provides the convenience to your target customers, which can boost several of your important metrics, including customer loyalty.

Analyze current market trends

Don’t jump on to making decisions and strategies without first getting your numbers and facts correct. Analyze the current market trends in your niche—the competition level, customers buying habits, their budget, the pricing standards and so forth. Take your time and know all these facts before you rush to make your selling and marketing strategies. Sound decisions always lead to a smoother path ahead; meaning, quick first sale!

Approach your niche influencers

Contrary to what many believe, approaching and convincing your market influencers is much easier. Of course you need the right approach, your products must be of high value and that you must be ready to face few rejections. Find few popular names in your business niche (who have high social media reach and/or have a blog), approach them from the front, offer them your product sample and let them review it. Some may even ask for money. If your budget allows and there’s higher ROI, go for it.

Blog about your products

No more is blogging a pass-time for the writers. It has become a significant asset in the marketing world. So start blogging about your online store, products and additional services you’re offering. Host it on your store’s website or use free platforms like Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr. Of course you must get creative here to keep your content interesting and worthy of readers’ time. A blog post, well written with facts and numbers, can significantly influence purchasing decision of the readers.

Leverage on Social media platforms and forums

Next to blogging, your best marketing avenue is social media platforms, followed by forums. Use Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest and more to reach out your target customers. Spread out the good words about your products and store. Again, be creative. Depending on your business model, Facebook group can be a much better option than Fan Page, LinkedIn might be a better platform than Twitter. So do your research properly and choose your marketing channels accordingly. Open forums/platforms like Reddit, 4Chan and Quora too offer a large pool of potential customers; so don’t overlook them.

Hype the launch

Even if you’re launching on a small-scale, there are ways you can hype your store, products and get your target audience excited. Press Release is a great way to get the words out in public; of course you need to make this write up exceptional and truly newsy that offers better value to readers’ time. Advertising on Facebook and different platforms, and having a “Coming Soon” webpage are decent ways too to hype the launch.

Sell on comparison search engines

Many new sellers overlook this but comparison search engines have a great deal of potential to boost your sales, if only you have a decent pricing strategy. Google Shopping and Shopzilla are great platforms that enjoy high monthly traffic. Be competitive and if luck has it, you can make decent amount of sales from here.

Bank on multi-channel e-commerce solution

Handling all the loose ends of your various online storefronts can be a stressful and time-consuming task. This can affect your own performance and hence your stores’. So instead of managing everything manually, why not bank on the affordable multi-channel e-commerce software solution?! From helping you in product setup and feed optimization to real time inventory management (eBay inventory control and more) and order fulfillment, its centralized platform can help you control everything under single roof, quickly and easily. This will only boost your stores’ overall performance but also make your life much easier.

These are 8 winning ways to make your first online sales quickly and smoothly. Now you know, give your business the right (and grand) start that